Semidecating machine



Get. 12, 1948. v HAYES SEMIDECATING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1944 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED s'rA'rss PATENT OFFICE SEMIDECATING MACHINE.

Edward F. Hayes, Pelham, N. H., asslgnor to Talbot Mills, Inc., North Billerica, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts, as trustee Application June 12, 1944, Serial No. 539,867

8 Claims.

This invention relates to certain processes for finishing woolen cloth. It is a machine, the purpose of which is to condition the cloth for marketing with reference to its weight, moisture content, feel and sheen, its resistance to shrinking and to the effect-of small amounts of wetting, such as by a light rain where the cloth is used for clothin Important objects are to introduce the predetermined right percentage of moisture in the cloth and to allow the cloth to shrink laterally and especially longitudinally to its unstretched size. L

In the processes of washing, dyeing, ironing between rolls or otherwise, woolen cloth is stretched and unless allowed to resume its natural size in the factory it will shrink or get out of shape when in use as if it is cut and sewed.

After the cloth is woven, sheared and napped, it may be stretched or spread out evenly and pressed or ironed or it may be rolled up and put through a process known as decating.

Depending on the purpose for which the cloth is to be used, it is finished'for use and for the market in accordance with the material of which the threads are made and the result desired.

I include under the word cloth any pliable fabric, woven, felted, or otherwise made from any filament; as.described in Websters Dictionary and under woolen cloth, I include such a sheet of pliable fabric which is woven, knitted or felted, the majority of the fibres of which are of wool. The rest of the fibres may be or some other material. I

With woolen cloth, particularly for dress goods, to overcome the stretching which occurs in various processes before the cloth is finished, the cloth should be allowed to shrink so that the threads and fibres can get back to what might be called their natural condition.

The ideal method of treating cloth to prepare it for the market is to allow it to have a certain amount of predetermined moisture and while moist and hot to press it between flat surfaces as is done by tailors in their shops.

Such a process if applied to a long strip of cloth would be intolerably slow and the mark of the press would appear over and over again.

For that reason up to the present time the processes ofdecatlng or semi-decating are the most satisfactory but these are intermittent processes, they are slow, and they do not give the woolen cloth a chance to shrink.

With our machine, we apply steam by atomizingvor hot water by spraying, to the cloth as it is 2 continuously moving and let it shrink before it is picked up by endless aprons between which it is held and carried around a hot cylinder and between the cylinder and hot beds.

These aprons should be of some material which when the aprons and the cloth are both hot and wet and are being pressed together, willv not stretch or lengthen or at leastwill' resist stretching or lengthening more than the woolen cloth. Properly woven cotton cloth and certain kinds of felt are satisfactory but abestos or a compound material with a warp or filling of wire, glass or plastic can be used. I can also use aprons of sheet rubber or plastic.

In what is known as full decating, the woolen cloth is rolled up on a perforated cylinder with a leader, usually of cotton cloth, and steam is forced through the mass in both directions namely from the inside out and from. the outside in. The woolen cloth and the leader are then unrolled, the woolen cloth being either folded or rolled and being ready for use or iorshippin In the process known as semi-decating, the woolen cloth is rolled up on a perforated cylinder and steam is forced through it in one direction only. It must then be unrolled with a leader and again rolled up or folded.

In both decatingand semi-decating, the cloth is rolled up with a leader, then subjected to steam, and then. unrolled. Both of these may be described as intermittent processes and the cloth is stretched with no chance to shrink lengthwise.

With our machine and process we treat the cloth continuously, allow it to shrink and the fibres to set. After leaving our machine, the cloth has more lustre and it will stand the well known sponge test better than cloth treated by the usual decating or semi-(locating method.

While the cloth is squeezed, it is not stretched and the amount of moisture content and the temperature can be so regulated that every inch of the cloth will be treated in the same way.

Our process is continuous, it allows the cloth to shrink to its natural size before it is carried by aprons one on each side between a hot cylinder and hot beds.

It will be noted that we do not blow steam through the cloth at any time as neither our cylinder nor the beds are perforated.

We accomplish our purpose by providing two endless aprons whichfor convenience we will call the upper and lower aprons, each made of cotton cloth, felt or other material which will not be affected by steam and by introducing the woolen tween a hot bed and a hot cylinder.

Before the cloth enters between the aprons it is sprayed with hot wet steam at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit and is then allowed to shrink, especially in length. I

Wet steam is also preferably sprayed on the lower apron before it enters between the'cylinder and bed.

The aprons and the cloth are then carried down and around a heated cylinder between it and one or more heated beds. are smooth to reduce friction on the lower apron while-the face of the cylinder can be relatively rougher to help carry along the aprons and the cloth so that there will be little, if any, slipping.

The faces of these beds guide rolls 2|, :1, and'23. 24. 2s and also around w a spreader roll 25 just before it starts around the cylinder C. This spreader roll 25 is of any type which keeps the aprons flat and smooth.

L represents what I will call-the lower continuous or endless apron which travels around The cloth touches neither the cylinder nor the beds. i

There is therefore no slipping or crawling as in ironing but a hot, damp pressing. Preferably to get smooth, even work, the aprons are spread laterally by suitable spreader rolls to keep them smooth and, if necessary, there are devices to prevent the aprons from running off the ends of the rolls or guides over which they pass.

The cloth when delivered by its feed rolls should be heated and moistened and then should be allowed to linger in a cradle or to hang free long enough to complete its shrinking'before it is picked up by the aprons and therefore the surface speed of the delivery rolls should be greater than the surface speed of the aprons and the cylinder, the diiference being adjusted as nearly I as possible to the amount of shrinkage.

In the draWings'Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevation of the side of my machine on which the valves and so forth for the steam pipes are located.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of the other a 7 side of my machine where the drive pulleys and drive mechanism are located.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showin the arrangement of certain parts and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, showing the relation of the cylinder to the beds and the operating mechanism for the beds all similarto those shown by Gessner in his Patent No. 565,071.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a modified form of the device as from the same side as Fig. 1. and Fig. 6 is a similar diagrammatic side elevation of another modification, the rolls in both cases being shown in section.

In the drawings A represents the frame of a preferred type of machine for carrying out our process.

C represents a cylinder which is heated on the inside by steam or in any other well known way. This cylinder is carried by gudgeons 10, 1| and is driven as by pulley II and belt I2 fromany source of power such as motor l3.

1B and D indicate two beds or shoes of a type similar to those shown in patent to Gessner on Cloth pressing machine of August 4, 1896, No. 565,071. These beds are also heated to about the same temperature and in about the same way as cylinder C and can be forced up clos to cylinder C in a manner similar to those shown by Gessner as by levers i9 and It operated by head 22 and connections.

These beds can therefore be forced up against cylinder C with a predetermined pressure.

T represents what I will call an upper continuous or endless apron preferably made of heavy cotton or some form of felt. This apron travels over the guide roll or rod 20 and thence around roll or rod 20 and the various guide rolls 3|, 3|, 32, 33, 34, and also around a spreader roll 35 proximate spreader roll 25.

The two aprons T and L come close together between rolls 25 and 35 forming a sort of receiving mouth for the cloth W which is to be treated between cylinder.C and beds B and D.

Both aprons T and L then come together and pass around a guide roll or rod 21 just before they and cloth W start to pass around cylinder Aprons T and L then diverge after passing roll or rod 20, apron L carrying cloth W over rolls 30 and 3| from which it can be dropped on floor G, or it' can be folded or rolled up as it is then completely finished. A

One of the guide rolls 33 for leader L is shown as a floating roll and is provided with springs such as 38, which help to keep the lower apron L from running off the ends and to equalize the tension.

4|, 40 represent feed rolls for cloth W. As shown, bottom roll 4| is; driven by a shaft 45, pulley 42 and belt 43 from a pulley 44 carried by drive gudgeon 1| which drives cylinder C. This cloth feed roll 4| might be connected with the main drive as shown or it might be driven by a separate power plant. In either case, it should be so driven that the delivery of the cloth is slightly faster than the surface speed of the apronsTand L.

As shown i3 is an electric motor with shaft 4 and pulley which drives pulley I on gudgeon H by a-belt l2 but any other cylinder driving means could be used.

By changing the size of either pulley 42 or 44 or the size of roll 4|. the difference between the surface speed of rolls 40,- and of cylinder C can be increased or diminished.

The rolls 4|], 4| and 34 are some distance apart and between them preferably is a cradle F in -which the hot, wet cloth W lingers and shrinks and it can also shrink between roll 34 and roll 35- from which it is can'ied along by apron L until it is also engaged by apron T. These aprons carry it down and around cylinder'C between the beds B and D and thenceup and over the guide 20 and rolls 3!), and 3| of apron L from whence it is delivered to any sort of pile, receiving roll or folding device according to the type of shipping required.

It will be noted that at no point is there any pull which might stretch the cloth W from the time it is delivered by the rolls 40, 4|, until it is finished and it is given time and space to shrink in cradle F.

S represents a steam pipe from a source of steam, the steam being carried by a pipe past a valve 5| for regulating the delivery of the steam through the atomizing pipe 52 onto the cloth just as it leaves the rolls 40, 4|. 53 represents a valve which controls the delivery of similar steam to an atomizing pipe 55 under the apron L between the time when apron L receives the cloth W and carries it up past its spreader roll 35 and into the mouth between the two aprons L and T. 56 and 51 represent the steam pipes which carry steam from pipe 58 to beds B and D and 58 the pipe connection to cylinder 0, through gudgeon i the cylinder;

II; in bearing 12 and I is the steam outlet through gudgeon II in bearing ll. Cylinder C and beds B and D might be heated by electricity or hot air.

The stretch rolls are desirable to keep the aprons smooth and even on their guide rolls and thereby to keep the cloth smooth and in place, but they may be omitted.

The cradle is convenient but, as shown in Fig. 5. it can be replaced as by a guide roll or rod 80 over which the cloth can be pulled while it is shrinking between the cloth feed rolls and the month between the two aprons.

. In fact the cloth may be allowed merely to hang between the cloth feed rolls and the aprons as at a roll 63 shown in Fig. 6 with no other support. In every case there should be enough distance from the cloth feed rolls to the aprons to allow the cloth to shrink before it is caught between the aprons, the clothfeed rolls being so spaced and the differential in surface speed be-- tween the cloth feed rolls and aprons being so regulated that the lengthwise shrinking is completed but the cloth is hot and wet when it is seized on both sides by the aprons.

As shown in Fig. 6, this wetting might be ac-' complished by means of a felt roller 6i turning in a water bath 82, the water of which is kept at a. high degree of temperature. The atomizing or vaporizing or'steaming by jets of steam is preferable however as it distributes the particles of water more evenly and finely but, as the temperature in the cylinder and the beds is preferably well above the boiling point namely from 230 to 240 Fahrenheit, when the treated cloth emerges from between the aprons, the overheated steam almost immediately vaporizes and disappears leaving the cloth with only the amount of moisture desired. The moisture content can be regulated by the speed, heat and amount of water.

I claim:

1. In a continuous semi-decating machine for finishing woolen cloth; the combination of,a revoluble heated cylinder; and means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the curved surface of the cylinder; an upper endless apron and a lower endless apron to receive and carry the cloth between them between the bed and part of the cylinder said to stretching than is the woolen cloth; means to spread each apron transversely before it engages the heated cylinder; cloth feed rolls to deliver the woolen cloth to a cradle and to the apron; a cloth receiving cradle positioned between part of the lower endless apron and said cloth feed rolls; means to drive the cloth feed rolls at a greater surface speed than the surface speed of a pipe for spraying steam on the woolen cloth as it leaves the cloth feed rolls; and a perforated steam pipe for spraying steam on the lower apron where it receives the woolen cloth and before it engages the heated cylinder.

2. In a continuous semi-decating machine for finishing woolen cloth; the combination of a revoluble heated cylinder; and means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the curved surface of the cylinder; an upper endless apron and a lower endless apron to receive'and carry the cloth between them between the bed and part of the cylinder said aprons being more resistant to stretching than is the woolen cloth; and positively driven cloth feed rolls spaced "from the apronsto deliver the woolen cloth to between the aprons; means to drive the cloth feed rolls at a-greater surface speed than the surface speed of the cylinder; cloth supporting means between the cloth feed rolls and the aprons; means to heat and moisten the woolen cloth as it leaves the cloth feed rolls; and before the cloth means to heat and moisten the lower apron before it engages the heated cylinder. 1

3. In a continuous semi-decating machine for finishing woolen cloth; the combination of a revoluble heated cylinder; and'means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the curved surface of the cylinder; an upper endless apron and a lower endless apron to receive and carry the cloth between them between the bed and part of the cylinder said aprons being more resistant to stretching than is the woolen cloth; and positively driven cloth feed rolls spaced from the aprons to deliver the woolen cloth to the aprons; means to-drive the cloth feed rolls at a greater surface speed than the surface speed of the cylinder; cloth supporting means between the cloth feed rolls and the aprons; and means to heat and moisten the woolen cloth as it leaves the cloth feed rolls.

4. In a continuous semi-decating machine for finishing woolen cloth; the combination of a revoluble heated cylinder; and means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the curved surface of the cylinder; an upper endless apron and a lower endless apron to receive and carry the cloth them between the bed and part of the cylinder said aprons being more resistant to stretching than is the woolen cloth; positively driven cloth feed rolls spaced from the aprons to deliver the woolen cloth to the aprons; and means to heat and moisten the woolen cloth as it leaves the cloth feed rolls.

5. In a continuous semi-decating machine for finishing woolen cloth; the combination pf a revoluble heated cylinder; and means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the curved surface of the cylinder; endless aprons to receive and carry the cloth between them between the bed and part of the cylinder; positively driven aprons being more resistant cloth feed rolls spaced from the aprons to deliver the woolen cloth to the aprons; means to drive the cloth feed rolls at a greater surface speed than the surface speed of the cylinder; and means to heat and moisten the cloth as it leaves the cloth feed rolls.

6. In a machine for continuously finishing woolen cloth; the combination of a revoluble heated cylinder; and means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the' curved surface of the cylinder; endless aprons to receive and carry the cloth between them between the bed and. part of the cylinder; means for heating and moistening the cloth; means to deliver the woolen cloth to such means for heating and moistening the cloth and to the aprons, the cloth between the heating and moistening means and the aprons being free from'tension; and means to deliver the cloth to the heating and moistening means at a greater speed than the surface speed of the cylinder.

7. In a continuous semi-decating machine for finish woolen cloth; the combination of a revoluble heated cylinder; and means to positively drive such cylinder; with a heated bed having an adjoining face concentric with the curved'surface of the cylinder; an upper endless apron and a lower endless apron to receive and carry the cloth between them between the bed and part of the cylinder said aprons being more resistant to stretching than is the woolen cloth; and positively driven cloth feed rolls spaced from the aprons to deliver the woolen cloth to the aprons; means to drive the cloth feed rolls at a greater surface speed than the surface speed of the cylinder; cloth supporting means between the cloth feed rolls and the aprons to allow the cloth to shrink while free from tension; and means to heat and moisten the woolen cloth as it leaves the cloth feed rolls.

8. In acontinuous semi-decating machine for finishing woolen cloth; the combination of a revoluble cylinder heated to at least 230 degrees cylinder; with a bed heated to at least 230 degrees Fahrenheit having an adjoining face concentric with the curved surface of the cylinder; an upper endless apron and a'lower endless apron to receive spaced from-.the aprons, to deliver the woolen cloth to the aprons; means to drive the cloth feed rolls at a greater surface speed than the Fahrenheit; and means to positively drive such a surface speed of the cylindertcloth supporting aprons.

' EDWARD F. HAYES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:'

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 565,071 Gessner Aug. 4, 1896 1,017,349 Tracy 1 Feb. 13, 1912 1,804,097 Hahn May 5, 1931 1,817,855 Spuhr Aug-4, 1931 1,944,001 Cluett Jan. 16, 1934, 1,992,753 Karlson et a1 Feb. 26, 1935 2,052,948 Simpson Sept. 1, 1936 2,144,151 Heinen Jan. 17, 1939 2,174,215 Rose Sept. 26, 1939 2,196,869 Lane Apr. 9, 1940 2,251,127 Gessner July 29, 1941 2,300,982 Slagboom et al Nov. 3, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,510 Great Britain 1909 

